


Play Pretend

by cwtchbuddy, exouniversity



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, EXOUNI16, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, Light Angst, M/M, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-08-18 10:45:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8159327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cwtchbuddy/pseuds/cwtchbuddy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/exouniversity/pseuds/exouniversity
Summary: Yixing has had enough and roping Yifan into his problem is the only option he is left with. His roommate seems to be up for the challenge though and everything is going smoothly. But what is he going to do if the feelings he’s been bottling up slip into their act. Will he put a leash on them or allow them to run free?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Meant to answer the lack of fake dating au fics for fanxing so I hope everyone enjoys it though I am pretty sure you’ll get frustrated while reading this /).(\ Thank you Katja for reading through this mess and for always leaving fun comments for me to read :)

Yixing almost pops a nerve.

“Hi Yixing Ge!” A bright smile welcomes the dance major when he opens the door of his dorm room to leave for his 9am class. Instead of returning the gesture, however, Yixing steps back and grumbles, not wanting to entertain the other even if he knows that the boy probably waited just to pick him up and walk him to his class.

The dancer doesn’t even remember meeting the other who presented himself as a junior from his high school but ever since the new semester started the boy has been following him around, fetching him from his classes and trying to squeeze himself beside the dance major whenever he is having his meal at the cafeteria alone. The freshman has even gone as far as giving Yixing a sketch he has done of the dancer since he is an art major. If the elder’s roommate had not commented about it being a good drawing he would have crumpled the paper and threw it in the rubbish already.

When Yixing hears footsteps coming from behind him, a light bulb appears above his head. He knows his roommate might kill him for this later but he needs to get rid of this kid and he can’t find a better way than this. So he waits for the heavy steps to reach him before turning to his side where the taller male is slipping his feet into his shoes. Without prompt, Yixing tiptoes and grabs the collar of his friend’s shirt to pull him down and seal their lips in a kiss, uncaring of the consequences of his actions later on. A hand surprisingly lands on his lower back, pulling him close and pressing him against a hard chest as the smacking of their lips resound in the small space they are sharing. The simple peck turns into something more passionate as his roommate reciprocates, pushing his lips against Yixing’s harder and even swiping his tongue on the younger’s bottom lip. The younger unconsciously moans when he feels the tongue slip past his lips and touch his own. The wet appendage twists with his and memorizes every inch of his mouth, moving expertly as if they are lovers that have been apart for a while.

Yixing pulls away with a gasp, the taller male leaning down afterwards to give his lips a peck before breathing heavily against his plump pair. After parting with the other, Yixing’s face flushed and lips slightly swollen, the dance major slowly regains his consciousness and looks towards the freshman to ask teasingly, “Have you met my boyfriend Yifan?”

The hand on his back moves to his waist as he turns to face his suitor fully, his roommate’s voice is deep when he greets the freshman who stands stunned at their sudden display, “Hello.”

They watch the boy’s eyes widen and look at the areas where their bodies are touching for a few seconds before Yixing decides to interrupt him, “Sorry but we have to go.”

“Yeah,” Yifan leans down to give the younger a peck on the cheek, smiling when the dance major looks at him with surprised eyes, “I still have to drop my baby to his class.” 

The acting major lightly shoves the art freshman so he and Yixing can leave their room and close the door before he intertwines his fingers with the younger and pulls him by the hand, chuckling to himself when he looks over his shoulder to find the boy still standing in front of their room.

❤️

The dance major nervously looks behind him, hand still clasped with Yifan’s, not noticing the stares that they are receiving from the people they have pass by. When he’s one hundred percent sure that the freshman is already out of sight, he lets go of his roommate’s hand. A tingling feeling lingers where they were connected even moments after he has pulled away. The taller male looks confused at his actions, only understanding once Yixing has explained that his stalker-slash-suitor is already gone.

“I’m so sorry about that Yifan,” Yixing apologizes, hand gripping the strap of his duffel bag when he reluctantly looks up, prepared for a barrage of scolding from the elder. What he didn’t expect was for the taller one to be smiling at him. When the acting major takes his free hand with a smile on his face, the dancer shakes his head to check that he isn’t hallucinating.

“Yixing, it’s fine, totally fine,” the elder says, beaming at the dance major, “it’s great, even.” His hand tightens around the younger’s smaller one when he continues, “Actually, I should be thanking you. This will be a good way to practice my acting, don’t you think?” 

The younger doesn’t know how to respond, shocked by the other’s reaction more than anything. So when Yifan repeats his question, he just nods dumbly.

“Better yet, we should let the whole campus think we’re together,” the acting major adds, humming as if to agree with his own genius idea. The smaller male doesn’t even get a say on it before he’s being pulled once again, the elder deciding to continue their pretend PDA by walking him to his class, his hand still trapped within the taller one’s own.

When Yifan leans down to give him a kiss on the cheek again as a form of saying goodbye, Yixing wonders how far he has to pretend and if his professor saw the taller male’s antics because with the way his classmates are looking at him and whispering to each other, he’s sure that they saw every little thing, even how his roommate whispered to his ear which he thinks is unnecessary. The blush on his cheeks that won’t go away no matter how hard he fans himself, prompts his classmates to tease him further about his newfound relationship with Yifan, his playful seatmates shooting hearts and pretending to mimic him and his roommate’s actions earlier. Yixing throws a few pieces of crumpled paper at Lu Han and Kai when the two don’t stop with their acts. Giving up that the others aren’t going to stop that easily, he just looks away and focuses on his professor’s lesson. However, his mind keeps flying back to the kiss he shared with Yifan and how the elder easily fell into character and even suggested to keep the act. With a mumbled expletive he lays his forehead against his open book, unsure whether he should thank or curse himself for his stupid idea that morning.

❤️

Yifan instantly falls into character whenever they are outside their dorm or when Yixing’s suitor is nearby. The taller male either places his arm over the dancer’s shoulder or interlaces his fingers with the smaller one’s, so casually and so naturally that if one would look without knowing the two they would think without having second thoughts that they are a real couple, one that many would envy because of how perfect they look together. Even Yixing himself thinks that if he did some astral projection and looked down where he left his body sitting beside the elder, he would also comment on them being a very believable pair. The younger commends his roommate’s acting abilities, knowing that they’re only able to pull the show because of the other’s skills and how the taller one saves them with his smooth explanation whenever someone approaches them to ask about their sudden coming out as a couple.

Even though the younger knew of his roommate’s major, he has never seen the elder’s acting itself, never having the chance to see the other showcase his talent. The taller male always shies away when the dance major opens the topic about the film project they made or the stage play he’s going to participate in, opting to talk about Yixing instead, always enthusiastically asking the younger about what he will be performing for the end of semester evaluations. Even so, the dancer can’t really say that he’s surprised since Yifan has told him before that the girls he ‘dates’ are all for practice as well. For a second, the younger felt bad for the females who have flung themselves to the acting major before when he heard this from his roommate even when Yifan explained further that the women who came into a ‘relationship’ with him know this as they are all girls he has worked with. Yixing wonders if he will be the same as those girls, that after this experiment, the elder will pretend again that nothing happened; that they didn’t share a few months together, didn’t kiss and hold hands.

The younger pulls himself away from his thoughts, not wanting to drown in them when the whole table’s attention is on them – their relationship. Kai and Lu Han have brought their teasing from the classroom to their dinner, sending hearts to the new couple while making smooching noises as they urge the two to share a kiss; they even go as far as tapping their glasses with their spoons like they do in weddings. Yifan looks at the younger when this happens for a second time. For the first time that day, Yixing sees hesitance in the elder’s eyes and something else, something that he can’t quite describe and put a name on. He looks away when he sees the taller male lean a bit closer to him, hands balling a used napkin before throwing it at the duo on the other side of the table.

“Are you guys legit?” Zitao inquires as he slams his tray onto the table. Sehun who is following closely behind him, places his own tray more quietly on the table, never one to call attention for himself. “What is this rumor going around campus? And you,” his voice crescendoes when he points to Yixing, “you weren’t answering my calls and messages! People were asking me, you know!”

“God,” Yixing prolongs the word as he wipes a hand over his face, allowing the snigger he hears from Yifan to slide because he can’t be mad at the other at any point of their fake relationship since the elder is his saving grace at the moment. “Can’t people keep their noses out of other people’s business?”

“They can’t,” Minseok answers for him, the Literature major who has been quietly reading a book – Does he ever put that down? Does he read in the shower too? – comments while pushing his glasses up his nose.

“Not when the Acting Department’s Heartthrob,” Jongdae butts in, putting his composition notebook down to point at Yifan with his pen before using the same item to Yixing, “and the Dance Department’s Cutie,” the description has the dancer’s eyes popping, a protest at the tip of his tongue cut short by the music major’s stare, “are now in a relationship.”

Yixing sits stunned in his place, he never really thought of his position in the university or what others think of him so he didn’t realize that this whole pretending thing will blow up this much. He’s brought back to reality when Yifan pulls him close by the shoulder again, the elder sounding smug when he says, “Oh well, guess no CC can beat us then if we have such titles.” 

The taller one smiles at him and the whole table almost simultaneously pukes at the acting major’s comment about their newfound relationship. The elder doesn’t budge even when the dancer nudges him on his side, his hold on Yixing’s shoulder only tightens. While he locks gazes with Yifan, fear creeps into the smaller male that if he doesn’t look away, his heart will be unable to function properly anymore.

❤️

When they return to their dorm to turn in for the night, they find Yixing’s suitor standing in front of their door, hand balled in a fist which he slowly lifted in a pose to knock.

“What did you say the kid’s name is again?” Yifan asks, his lips too close for comfort to the dancer’s ear.

“Jinfeng,” the younger responds, without being too obvious with how he moved his head away from his roommate’s mouth. The hum that Yifan lets out, however, still manages to reach his ear and he has to suppress the shudder that threatens to rack his body because of it.

“Kid’s persistent,” the elder comments before sliding his hand from Yixing’s shoulder to the dancer’s hand to intertwine their fingers. With a look towards the younger, he asks, “Ready?” The dance major isn’t quite sure how and what to answer but it seems there’s no need for him to worry because Yifan is already pulling him towards their dorm room.

“Hey, kid,” the taller of the two lifts his free hand in greeting but the freshman doesn’t seem to appreciate it, retorting to the senior that he’s not a _kid_ anymore. “Well, you look like one,” Yifan’s chuckle seems to get to the suitor’s nerves, balling his fists to his sides before giving the elder his meanest look which doesn’t really do anything to the tall Chinese.

“I’m not here to talk to you.” Jinfeng turns to where the apple of his eye is, trying his best to ignore Yifan. “Yixing Ge,” the freshman has a pleading tone and the dancer feels a bit guilty for a second, “I know you’re not in a relationship with this guy.” The younger points to the acting major who just gives him with a nonplussed reaction. “I’m sure you’re just doing this to test my loyalty to you but I really like you and I won’t give up until you return my feelings.”

When the smallest of the three surges forward to probably take Yixing’s hands like he did when he first saw the dance major in the campus, professing his undying love for his senior in the middle of the hallway, Yifan blocks him. The tall figure turns around and places both hands on the dancer’s shoulders with a mix of a serious and a caring expression on his face.

“Baobei,” the pet name surprises Yixing a little bit, the sweet way it is said with the correct accent has his insides melting that his brain halts for a moment before kickstarting again, “mind opening the door?” He nods and retrieves his keys from his pocket before turning to the door, his ears pricking up to hear everything that Yifan tells his suitor.

“Look here, kid.” Jinfeng reluctantly looks at Yifan, his view of Yixing blocked by the elder’s broad figure. “I don’t care if you believe that Yixing and I are dating or not, nothing about our relationship is going to change.” Even with the key already inserted in the hole, the dancer still doesn’t turn it to open the door. He awaits the elder’s following words, knowing by instincts that he still has something to say. What the taller one says next has the younger’s fingers slipping from where they were holding the key, the serious and possessive tone in Yifan’s voice sending unwarranted ripples of want all over his body, “He’s mine. That too, will never change.” 

Next thing Yixing knows, he’s being ushered gently into the dorm with his roommate’s hard and warm chest pressed to his back. He doesn’t hear anything from Jinfeng, no knock coming from the other side either. Yifan doesn’t say anything after, just excusing himself to take a shower with a small smile on his lips.

When the elder returns, his dyed blond hair is still wet from his shower and some areas of his shirt and sweats cling to his body because of his damp skin. Yixing wills himself to look away, reminding himself that the taller male being his boyfriend is just an act; he doesn’t have to look at Yifan like he desires him. But he can’t help it especially when the front of the actor’s shirt is showing the shape of the elder’s abs, the cloth following the lines that his roommate forgot to wipe down. He presses his lips together when the other clears his throat and says, “Something you want to say?” Yixing nods even though he doesn’t really have anything to say so to avoid the other’s teasing he tries to come up with something before the taller one can think that his earlier staring was anything but suspicious.

“I just wanted to thank you.”

Yifan finally sits on his own bed pushing himself towards the wall until his back hits the thin material of wood that separates their room from the one beside theirs.

“That’s nothing, Xing.” The way his nickname falls from the elder’s lips sounds so loving that he momentarily thinks that what they have is real but he’s jerked back to reality by the taller’s voice again. “Anything I can do to help you. Besides, the kid’s been pestering you and he can’t seem to understand that a no is a no. He’s stressing you out so much that I haven’t even been able to see your dimple lately.” The corners of Yixing’s lips instantly lifts up a little, enough to show a hint of the indentation on his right cheek, the curve of his lips is immediately mirrored by the elder whose smile turns into a grin as the younger’s does so as well.

“Really, though,” Yixing maneuvers them back to the topic, “I appreciate it but you don’t have to go so far as you did a while ago.”

“It’s alright,” the taller reassures his roommate again, “besides he already suspected that our relationship is fake so we have to do everything to make the act believable, even more so now, don’t you think?”

The younger can’t disagree with his friend’s statement, knowing that they have to do everything to make Jinfeng and the whole student body – though that’s just a plus – fall for their acting. When Yifan hears no protest from the younger, he finally lies down properly and rests his head on his pillow before turning to face the wall – his usual position. Yixing makes himself comfortable on his bed as well, having already showered after his practice and changed while Yifan was out for his shower.

Once Yixing turns off his night lamp, he hears the taller call out to him, “Good night, baobei.” It comes out so naturally from the elder’s lips that once again he feels his body melting into his bed but he reminds himself that it is all pretend so he grumbles for show as well.

“We’re inside our room, Yifan,” he throws to the other who still has his back to the younger, “no need for terms of endearment.”

Yixing sees the outline of the elder’s shoulder shrug before his roommate turns his head around slightly to answer him, “Just helping you get used to it.”

The younger doesn’t have a smart retort only gratitude to the darkness in their room for covering the blush on his cheeks. Instead of saying something sharp he just groans out, “Just go to sleep. Don’t want your skin to suffer.” He hears the other snort then everything is silent again.

Yixing isn’t sure, as his eyes follow the length of Yifan’s body, if this is the best solution for his problem but he can’t do anything about it but to go with the flow.

❤️

The rest of the week has Yifan clinging to Yixing with the younger acting along and pretending to be annoyed every now and then. But he always opens his mouth when the elder tries to feed him something, always tightens his grip around Yifan’s hand when the actor laces their fingers together, always lifts his head when the taller calls him _baobei_ and his heart always flutters at every little thing the other does. And everybody in the campus seems to have fallen for their act, swooning every time they are seen walking hand in hand in the hallways of the university. Except for one person.

“They look really suspicious,” Sehun murmurs as he and Zitao walk away from their lunch table, leaving earlier than their friends who have classes later in the afternoon.

“Who?” The Chinese asks, half-interested in what the other is talking about as he looks through his final designs that they are supposed to submit that day.

“Yifan and Yixing,” the younger answers before glancing behind them to where the topic of their conversation are still stuck to each other’s side with the taller of the two whispering something to the other’s ear.

“What’s so suspicious about them?” The olive-skinned boy is still giving his designs a final critic as he converses with the other, a bit confused that Sehun is bringing the topic up. “We all know they’ve been secretly liking each other since forever,” the elder reminds the Korean while he places his sketches back into the envelope, “so what’s so surprising about them being together?”

“It happened so suddenly though, don’t you think so too?” The younger doesn’t let it go that easily. Not that he isn’t happy for his two older friends if they really are together now. It’s just that Sehun is perpetually curious and he can’t accept the fact that they just happened when the two always asked them not to make such a big fuss out of their _little_ crush for the other.

“Whether it happened fast or not, should it matter? What does is that they’re together now,” Zitao responds, opening the door for Sehun before continuing, “and our days of watching them silently pine for the other is over.” The Korean walks into the classroom, dropping the topic for the moment but he will surely bring it up again. For now, however, he needs to focus on his lessons, the matter about Yifan and Yixing can wait anyway.

❤️

“Wait for me,” Sehun calls out to the new campus couple when he spots them coming out of the Performing Arts Building with Yifan and Yixing holding hands like normal couples do.

“Oh, hey Sehun!” Yixing lifts his free hand to wave at the younger. “Where’s Zitao?” The dancer asks, knowing how the two are practically attached at the hip since they met.

“He had something to get from his room,” the younger answers truthfully, not adding the information that he ran away from waiting for the Chinese to return to find them instead.

“Ah, want to walk with us to the cafeteria then?” Yixing offers with a smile on his face before the older of the two joins the conversation.

“Yixing owes me an ice cream though,” Yifan reminds the younger, tightening his grip on the other’s hand when he looks down to get the dancer’s attention, “so we have to stop by the ice cream shop first.” He grins when he sees the smaller one’s eyes widen after the elder’s reminder, recognition in his brown orbs at the promise he told the other the night before.

“Aiyo, right!” Yixing bites the inside of his cheek afterwards, then he looks up at the elder again to ask, “Can’t we just have the ice cream for dessert?” The taller male pouts, _Wu Yifan pouts_ , and furrows his eyebrows a little before a protest leaves his lips.

“But Yixing!” His pouting lips jut out even further, eyes growing big to plead at the other.

Sehun clears his throat then, reminding the two that they are not alone. He was slightly derailed from his plans when he saw Yifan pout, thinking it was a ridiculous sight and how the actor has started making faces he usually wouldn’t wear ever since he and Yixing came into a relationship – one that the Korean still doesn’t believe. The two whip their heads to where he is and he smiles crookedly.

“It’s okay,” the youngest tells them, “I just wanted to ask you guys something then you can go to your ice cream date.” The two tilt their heads to the side and to others it would probably look adorable but it’s just comical to Sehun. The couple urges him by nodding, to inquire whatever it is that’s in his mind. So he stands up straight and grips the strap of his satchel before allowing the words to flow out of his mouth, “You two are just pretending, aren’t you?” 

The way the two are so in sync with their movements makes Sehun question his own suspicions, that maybe the two Chinese really are in a relationship and aren’t just acting in front of the others. But he stands with his previous assumption and adds, “You can be honest with me, you know I’ll never tell anyone.” 

Instead of spilling the beans as he expected them too, however, Yifan’s hand tightens even further when Yixing releases it slightly – something he thought was a sign of giving up. The taller one wraps his fingers tighter around the other’s as Yixing looks up to him with a wary expression.

“You can think whatever you want, Sehun,” the elder of the two finally answers, calm as he levels his eyes with the youngest. When the Korean tells them that he presumed they weren’t for real because their relationship happened too fast, Yifan shakes his head with a small laugh before he answers again, “What can I say?” Then the taller male looks at Yixing the same way he always does when the dancer isn’t looking his way, loving and longing. “We can’t wait any longer.” When the elder leans down to kiss Yixing, the design major interrupts them, not wanting to be an audience to their public display of affection.

“I don’t know,” Sehun says and Yifan looks at him again, the dancer’s eyes still on the elder, “If you guys really are together then fine but I’m still suspicious. Like I said, you don’t need to lie to me so you can be honest with me when you’re around me.”

“We’re already being honest though?” The taller Chinese smiles with an incredulous expression before a chuckle leaves his mouth. “If that’s all Sehun and you’re not coming with us then we’re going ahead, okay?” Then Yifan looks down to meet Yixing’s gaze again, “Baobei can we have that ice cream now?” The dancer gulps then looks towards Sehun who still has the same expression of disbelief when he asked them earlier. Trusting that Yifan knows how to handle things better, he finally nods and allows the elder to take him away from the awkward tension that has slowly risen due to their conversation. They wave their goodbyes and see you laters to the younger before disappearing, leaving Sehun a bit more confused than he was before.

❤️

“Aaaaah!” Yifan opens his mouth wide, remnants of the salted caramel ice cream he’s just scooped into his mouth seconds ago still obvious on the corners as he points the spoon to Yixing who reluctantly opens his mouth, the taste of the cold treat bursting on his tongue the moment he closes his lips. He looks around to find the parlor empty save for a couple on the front of the shop, very far from where they are at the back of the ice cream shop and far too engrossed at each other to even get themselves curious about the two males where the taller one enthusiastically feeds the other.

When the elder tries to feed him another scoop of the ice cream, he shakes his head and this produces a pout from the actor. “There’s no one here, Yifan,” Yixing says as if the taller male can’t see it himself, “no need for us to act like a couple here.”

The younger thought he’d get a reluctant whine from his roommate but he receives an expression that has a look of realization on it before Yifan says, “You’re right,” lowering his hand to feed himself the cold treat instead. 

For a second, the dancer feels bad for his actions but then again he should also remind them both – himself – that they are doing this just to keep the unsightly suitors at bay because frankly he doesn’t want to deal with any of that, especially not when he’s supposed to be thinking of his end of the month evaluations and not some kid who follows him around.

There’s silence between them for a minute where Yixing wills for the ice cream to melt more quickly or for Yifan to finish it already so they can leave the shop. He repeatedly tells himself that it’s not so that he can have the elder’s hand on his own again or on his waist but just so he can escape the quiet that has settled between them.

 _Yifan must think I don’t appreciate his actions anymore,_ the dancer ponders on it but a thought tramples that and then he’s alert again.

“Sehun thinks suspiciously of us.” Yixing blurts out, making the elder lift his head up from where he’s scooping the melted treat to empty the bowl it is in.

Yifan shrugs and the smaller one is hoping he will give him more than just an uninterested gesture. And the taller male does, accepting the napkin the dancer pushes towards him with a smile before saying, “I’m sure everyone thought the same the first time we paraded our _relationship_ in campus.” When he sees that Yixing is not amused with his reply, the elder adds, “I guess we just have to up our game, right?” Yifan’s smile is dazzling as he teasingly looks at the other and the younger curses the fact that he’s one charming bloke and a very good actor too. He shakes his head and hopes that the taller one will take it as a response and not him shaking such thoughts away.

“Don’t you think we should tell our friends that,” Yixing’s voice goes soft and just above a whisper as his sentence progresses, looking towards the couple by the window before leaning on the table so the taller one can still hear him despite the low volume of his voice, “we’re not really in a relationship?” Yifan doesn’t reply quickly so the younger one says, “I mean, they should know the truth, they’re our friends, anyway.” Then he leans back to his seat and looks down to avoid the other’s gaze. The elder surprisingly takes his hand, stopping him from sinking into the booth and making him lift his head again to meet eyes with the elder.

“Yixing, if we do that,” Yifan doesn’t sound confident and for a moment the younger wonders if some alien has replaced his roommate that instant because it isn’t like his friend at all but the calloused hand around his tells him that this is real and when the taller one speaks again he sounds more like himself, composed and confident. 

“If we do that then there’s a possibility that they’ll slip about us not really dating, not that I don’t trust them or anything,” the elder explains himself before continuing, “but you know, what if someone overhears them talking about us or if they get too drunk at some party, too drunk that they accidentally out us without meaning to and it spreads across the campus? That suitor of yours will come back in an instant.”

As much as Yixing would like to refute those possibilities, he also can’t deny that Yifan has a point and with Lu Han in their circle of friends, it’s not that impossible for their cover to be blown in a snap of a finger. He’s a hundred percent sure that the older Chinese will scream about it the moment he hears it and then there’s no more campus couple Yifan and Yixing, just like that. The younger uses his free hand to wipe his face, wondering why things are so complicated and why he had done this to himself. A squeeze to his other hand reminds him that his roommate is still seated across him and when he looks up to see a reassuring smile on the other’s face he also remembers that he’s not alone in this, it’s just that things come out naturally for Yifan unlike him who becomes awkward the moment the elder lays a hand on him. But because of the taller one’s skills people still seem to buy their act, not questioning how it is possible for the two men to be together, just accepting the fact that roommates really can fall in love with each other no matter the gender.

“In my opinion,” Yifan says, hand still squeezing Yixing’s while he places his head on the other, “we should just act like a real couple so that no one will have even just a drop of doubt about our relationship.” The elder makes it sound so easy, to just pretend like they’re really lovers, that they have been in love with each other for so long. Yixing can do that. He can just allow himself to openly express his feelings for the other with the excuse that they’re just pretending so that people will believe them more. 

There’s a catch, however. What if he really lets go of all the feelings he’s been bottling up so as not to create an awkward tension between him and his roommate? What will happen if he allows himself to fall in love with the persona that Yifan shows him in order to act as his boyfriend? What will become of him when he gives it his all and makes everyone believe of their fake relationship when he knows in the end that to Yifan this is all just acting and that there will be nothing for them after a few weeks or months of pretending? Yixing wants to shake his head and tell Yifan no, that he can’t do it.

However, when the elder squeezes his hand to get his attention again, he nods in response to the actor’s question, “Let’s give it a try?”

❤️

They do give it a try or, to put it more correctly, Yixing lowers down his defenses and just allows himself to become natural around Yifan, responding the way he would if they really were in a relationship and trying not to think too much about faking his emotions. The campus couple easily fall into a routine thereafter, the taller one always walking the younger to his morning classes before jogging off to the cafeteria to grab breakfast for himself. Sometimes he drops by Yixing’s classroom again to give the other food before he himself walks to his own class. More often than not Yifan leaves a smooch to the dancer’s cheek especially when he leaves the younger to his dance rehearsals where the girls in the class are always watching them whenever the actor is around. At first Yixing is averse to it but he gradually gets used to it, feeling a hole in his heart when the elder leaves him without a goodbye kiss.

After almost two months of _dating_ , Yixing notices that they’ve brought their acting into the confines of their room as well. And he’s not really complaining, especially not when Yifan, who has just returned from his night class, carries him to his bed when he falls asleep on his desk hunched over his book or with his laptop still playing a performance he needs to watch for his class. Inadvertently, Yixing himself does things that he normally would do when they are out in public, like leaning against Yifan when they are seated beside each other or burying his face on the elder’s neck when he feels sleepy. The taller male doesn’t seem to be bothered by any of it, scooting his chair closer to the other’s so that it’s not that hard for Yixing to lean in. The actor sometimes drapes his arm over the younger’s shoulder as well or caresses his back when he whines about reading for his classes. They both know that no one can see them but neither of them release the other, if anything they only lean in and pull the other closer.

❤️

“Did you bring the movie?” Yifan asks when Yixing comes in, hair still wet from his shower and his gym bag still on his shoulder. The younger rolls his eyes and shakes his head before reaching into his bag to pull out a rectangular plastic case. He throws it to the bed near where the elder is seated before placing his bag beside the cabinet. He then unzips his hoodie and throws the maroon coloured clothing over the back of his chair. The dancer does everything while feeling the taller one glancing towards him but he doesn’t mind it, smiling to himself when he catches the other looking at him. Yifan just smiles at him, not even bothering to give him an explanation just moving until his back meets the wall. He pats the space to his right after he pops the DVD into his laptop that he has placed on a pillow above his lap. Yixing climbs on his roommate’s bed and takes the space offered to him, not bothered by the lack of distance between them, even moving closer with the excuse that he can have a better view of the screen because Yifan is hogging all of it when he is the one who brought the DVD for their movie night.

Halfway through the movie the taller moves his arm to place it behind Yixing, the younger stiffens but quickly relaxes and allows the hand that lands on his waist to stay, even reclining to be able to place the back of his head onto his roommate’s shoulder. Yifan adjusts a little after a while but freezes when he sees the dancer’s closed eyes and slightly parted lips, then he hears the light snores coming from Yixing’s mouth. The elder smiles as he watches the other’s relaxed expression, he waves a hand in front of the younger to see if he really is asleep and when he doesn’t get any reaction he allows himself to stare a little bit longer. He bites his bottom lip when an idea crosses his mind. Yifan bows his head carefully so as not to wake Yixing, checking if the other is still asleep before letting his lips touch the smaller one’s head. They’ve kissed before, on the lips even, but not in the confines of their room and especially not when it is stolen. The actor feels his lips tingling when he pulls away and he slightly feels guilty for what he’s done but the sigh of contentment that leaves Yixing’s parted lips reassures him that it’s okay.

Yifan doesn’t get to focus on the movie anymore, not with the younger sleeping beside him and mumbling words to his exposed skin. He eventually stops the movie and closes his laptop before pulling the blankets, more for Yixing because he’s only wearing his usual tank top. They fall asleep like that, not bothering to wake the younger or bring him to his own bed, wanting them to stay like so for as long as possible despite their position; the dancer’s head on his shoulder and soon his own leans against it as well when sleep takes him. He knows he will have a sore back and aching muscles in areas he doesn’t even know exist the next day but he doesn’t regret not changing their sleeping position when he sees the arm that’s draped over his stomach and feels the warm breath that’s on his neck when he wakes up.

❤️

Yifan reverses two steps when he passes by a jewelry shop, seeing a pair of rings displayed on the window. He knows the store as somewhere most college students in their area buy the cheap but fancy-looking jewelries they accessorize themselves with or give to their boyfriend or girlfriend. The elder looks around to see if there is anyone who might recognize him then he enters the shop when he sees there’s none. The tall male pretends to look around, checking if there is anything that might look simpler than the one by the glass window. He knows Yixing will appreciate it more if he had been given something that doesn’t shout extravagant, also that way the elder will not make the other feel burdened by the gift. A saleslady comes up to him while he’s looking at the jewelries on display, her voice welcoming as she starts her pitch to lure the student into buying something from their shop.

“Looking for something for you girlfriend?” The question makes Yifan snigger and he almost corrects her but catches himself when he remembers that Yixing isn’t exactly his boyfriend either. For a second he thinks of running out of the store, realizing how stupid the idea is of him buying an accessory for a person he isn’t even in a real relationship with. Before he acts out this idea though, he spots a pair of simple silver-coloured bracelets and all he can think of then is his roommate, the dimple digging on his cheek and the sweat that makes his body glisten when he’s dancing. He shakes his head at the last thought, making the saleslady look at him funnily. Hoping to resurrect himself, Yifan just points to the pair of bracelets and asks her about it, happy to find that they are not expensive and he’ll be able to buy them before leaving the store. He places the small paper bag into his backpack and thanks the saleslady. 

Everything is going smoothly, his mood is through the roof until he is just a few paces away from their dorm. The actor realizes then that he just bought a couple bracelet for him and Yixing. _A couple bracelet._ He can still remember how the saleslady squealed when he said he’ll be giving it right away, the girl even wished him luck and told him his other half will definitely like it and appreciate the gift. Oh how he hopes she is right.

His heart is thumping loudly against his chest when he slides his key into the doorknob, breathing a sigh of relief when he doesn’t see Yixing’s usual pair of shoes by the entrance of their room. He leaves his backpack on his bed before deciding to shower, hoping he will have good ideas on how to give the accessory to the younger and what to say when he finally gives it.

Ideas run through his head as the water pummels his head and body, some good, some he already knows will be disastrous. He turns the spigot to decrease the water volume until it is only enough to massage his back. As he soaps his torso he thinks of the pros and cons of the top two good ideas he has. Option one is he will give it to the younger in the middle of lunch, with their friends around and the other students to see them, that way Yixing will not be able to reject the gift. However, he knows they will have a lengthy discussion once they are already inside their room where there’s just the two of them. Even though they have done couply things outside, even kissing, he knows what having something that binds them and shows their ownership over the other brings to the kind of relationship they have and he’s not sure how Yixing will take that. He can already see the younger getting annoyed with his actions and saying, “It’s not necessary.” And he can also feel his heart constricting at the thought of hearing those words from the other even with the knowledge that the dancer is right.

When he rinses the shampoo off his hair and the soap off his body, he thinks option two will help him avoid any arguments with Yixing. So when he leaves the shower stall, he finalizes his decision, running a hand over his face when he realizes that he forgot to bring clothes with him. Thankfully the smaller male is still out when he returns but he still dresses hurriedly to be able to prepare himself for when he needs to give the bracelet to Yixing. He doesn’t think much of what to say, knowing he will forget the words anyway because of his nervousness so he just tries to calm himself down while he waits for Yixing to arrive. His brain short-circuits when his ears pick up the sound of the doorknob turning and the door being pushed open. Yifan stills where he’s seated on the edge of his bed, facing the younger’s own. He smiles nervously when he sees the dancer walk in, feeling the corner of his lips quivering when he lifts them. It is responded with a smile as well and he’s relieved when he sees the indentation on the younger’s cheek.

“You okay?” Yixing asks when he reaches where the elder is sitting, eyes never leaving his figure right when he enters their room. The taller male just nods and reaches for the younger’s left hand, humming when he doesn’t feel the other retracting his hand to himself. His eyes close when the smaller one’s other hand cups his cheek, leaning into the dancer’s touch while it is still there. When he doesn’t feel it leaving any time soon, he opens his eyes and chooses that as the right time to give the jewelry.

“I have something for you,” Yifan says, one hand squeezing the younger’s before the other reaches for his backpack to retrieve the small paper bag. Yixing tilts his head to the side as the elder places the maroon bag on his lap. The taller male can see the dancer’s eyes widen when he sees the name of the jewelry shop on the bag. The actor finally releases the other’s hand to be able to open it easily. When he removes the small rectangular black box inside, he hears the gasp Yixing lets out and hopes the younger doesn’t push him away for what he does next. Without saying anything, he takes the other’s hand again and wraps the chain around the smaller one’s wrist before securing the clasp to lock the accessory only loose enough not to fall from the younger’s hand. Yifan then takes the other bracelet before wearing it himself. Once the silver is secured around their wrists, he takes his roommate’s hand again, the circular accessories clinking with each other then he breathes out, “Couple bracelet.”

Yixing bites his lower lip, eyes trained on the silver around his wrist, clearly unable to find the right words to say. He finally settles for, “You didn’t have to,” after a few seconds and the elder can’t help but exhale the breath he didn’t even think he was holding. Next thing he knows his lips are moving and he can’t deny the truth that comes out of it, “I just thought of you when I saw it.”

When the silence sits between them and all he’s doing now is watch Yixing look at the accessory with amazement, he half thanks himself that he went with this option, almost unbelieving that the other is not swearing and getting mad at his sudden action. With more confidence in himself, Yifan playfully tells the other, “Make sure to wear it everyday.” The younger giggles and nods before finally saying, “Thank you.” 

That night they sleep with the couple bracelet secured around their wrists, the jewelry glinting with the light of the moon.

❤️

“Oh my god.” Lu Han’s jaw drops when he notices something on Yixing’s wrist, eyes widening and mouth pulling into a grin when he sees something identical on Yifan’s as well.

“What? Why?” Kai looks up from where he’s shoveling food into his mouth, eyes following where the other is pointing at the couple. When he sees the couple bracelet around their wrists he just nods and says, “Oh,” without much emotion as he already saw the accessories, he just smiles a little before returning to his food.

The Chinese then pulls at Sehun’s sleeves when he doesn’t get the big reaction he wants from Kai. The Korean design student turns to him with a lazy expression before his eyes follow where Lu Han is gesturing for him to look at Yifan and Yixing who are still grossly attached to each other like the couple that they should be. When the older of the two lifts a hand to clear the bangs that have fallen to cover the other’s eyes, Sehun sees the silver chain hanging on the taller male’s wrist. His eyes instantly fall where Yixing’s left hand is to find the same type of accessory, only a bit smaller than Yifan’s. The young Korean’s mouth hangs open and Lu Han claps his hands.

Zitao must have been observing them because he leans closer and places his chin on his classmate’s shoulder. Sehun, feeling the weight on his body, turns his head slightly and widens his eyes. The tanned male doesn’t seem to be bothered by the younger’s reaction and just whispers, “Guess you’ll have to believe them now.” His breath fans across Sehun’s face and the younger wants to push him away but something keeps his hands on his lap instead as he watches the elder pull his head away and nod to where the couple is whispering to each other again at the far end of their table.

“Yifan,” Lu Han calls out to the taller male, then he points at the bracelet around the younger’s wrist. Said male looks at his hand and smiles before taking his roommate’s hand to show the others the same accessory the smaller one is wearing. “Ahhhh.” The older Chinese places both hands on his cheeks before resting his elbows on the table with another dreamy sigh. “You guys are really official _official_ now,” Lu Han says as he looks at the bracelets then at the couple themselves who are just smiling at him.

“They’ve been official for three months now Lu Han,” Minseok chirps from where his head is still covered by the current book he’s reading for his upcoming exams. “Stop being so dramatic about every little thing now.” Kai chuckles a little beside Lu Han for which he receives a nudge on the ribs and the elder doesn’t look like he’ll apologize for it any time soon.

The scolded Chinese crosses his arms over his chest and huffs, “I’m just saying, they obviously wore that for us to tease them.” He directs the words to Minseok’s still covered head, whispering to himself, _“These masochists,”_ when he doesn’t get a reply. “We should take every opportunity we can to do so.”

“Sure,” Jongdae replies from where he’s seated beside Minseok, “when there are people here who are not busy studying for midterms anymore.” That immediately shuts Lu Han up, apologizing when he realizes that he’s the only one without a book opened in front of him or a project that he’s finalizing. He throws the couple a look though, hoping they get the message behind it: _You’re not yet off the hook._

Yixing then looks at the bracelet around his wrist, once Lu Han has decided to take his eyes off of them. He smiles as his fingers trace the silver chain, feeling it cold against his skin but not flinching from it. He had not thought of the elder buying something for him – something that is not even just for him but something that affirms their fake relationship to the people who don’t know better. Sometimes he looks at the accessory and thinks that Yifan has done so much for him for buying it, even though he knows it’s not that expensive. His heart flutters whenever he looks at it, reminding him who gave it to him and what it means, even though what they have is just pretend. He himself thinks of why he didn’t get mad at the taller one for buying him something that is – in his opinion – not necessary to their act. But then he remembers the sincerity in Yifan’s eyes, making him believe that it is more than just for their pretend relationship. He knows he shouldn’t allow himself to believe such thoughts but he argues that the way the other smiles at him and reassures him makes it hard for him not to have such ideas even just for a quick moment. Yixing is pulled away from his reverie when Yifan nudges him and offers a hand to him. He gladly takes it, as he always does, the smile the other is giving him warming his chest and bursting every bubble of suspicion in his body.

“By the way,” Zitao gets his friends’ attention when they finally walk out of the cafeteria, “we’ll be having a frat party next week after the exams.” Yixing lifts his head when he hears this. He doesn’t even remember when the last time he went out to just have a good time so he internally smiles at the thought of finally getting a night to just be with friends, dancing not for his grades but for fun. He nods after the younger Chinese says, “Everyone’s invited.” His hand on Yifan’s instantly tightens and the elder smiles at him, knowing how much they both need a good night of booze and friends after their exams. An understanding passes between them and even without words they know it’s a date.

❤️

“Let’s go?” Yifan offers his hand to Yixing when the younger gets up from where he was tying his shoes. The dancer isn’t exactly dressed to impress as he never really cared much for what he looked like. Yifan, on the other hand, is his usual fashionable self, albeit a little bit tamed, wearing black leather pants and a long-sleeved sweatshirt with a hoodie which the smaller one knows the elder will regret later.

 _Who wears long-sleeved shirts to a frat party even if the fabric isn’t thick?_ He muses as they walk hand-in-hand down to the ground floor where Lu Han and Kai are already waiting.

“Are you wearing it?” Lu Han jumps and grabs the couple’s left hands, grinning with satisfaction when he sees the couple bracelet still locked around their wrists. He claps his hand and Kai shakes his head on the side at how enthusiastic the other is over somebody else’s relationship. 

The younger of the two pulls the Chinese away from the couple, mumbling, “You’re invading their space.” Lu Han thrashes against his hold and runs ahead of them once he’s freed himself from his classmate’s grip.

The oldest Chinese stops when he’s a good five meters away from his friends before yelling, “First to the frat house gets a whole pizza tomorrow!” 

“That’s not how you lure Kai!” Yifan shouts from the end of the path going to their dorm building and Lu Han turns from where he’s already poised himself to run again.

“But we already had fried chicken a while ago!” The elder shouts back and fumes when he sees the others shrug. “You’re no fun.” Instead of running, he just waits for the three to reach where he is before falling into step with Kai. Then it’s silent again.

Yifan and Yixing don’t really mind the quiet. They’ve been spending days and hours in their own practice rooms for their finals performances and the two just really want some peace and quiet. They would have chosen to stay back but the thought of spending time with friends with free drinks on-hand doesn’t sound bad either, they can sleep well into the afternoon the next day anyway. The couple watch as their friends whisper to each other and seem to have agreed on something again because they’ve started to speed across the lawns, the fastest way to the frat house. They heard something about getting free lunch the next day but they don’t really care about that and allows the two to get ahead of them. Comfortable silence envelops them as they walk through the moonlit path, some of the lamps on campus already flickering. Yixing isn’t afraid, however, not when he can feel Yifan’s thumb rubbing circles on the back of his hand.

“This is nice,” the dancer blurts out all of a sudden and he hears the taller one hum, fingers still interlaced with his even when their friends have already long disappeared to the row of frat houses. Yixing doesn’t dwell on the quiet reply, instead he closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath, trying to remember when he last did so.

Yifan watches as the person’s face beside him takes on a serene expression, eyes closed and lips pursed as he exhales. Yixing looks so calm, the creases on his forehead and the heavy eyebags disappearing momentarily as he takes in his surroundings with a light heart, all worries and stress exhaled as his lips breathe out again. The taller male wants to reach out and press the younger to him, kiss him unconscious until there is nothing left for him to think about but the way his lips and skin tingle where Yifan kissed him. But the elder restrains himself, balling his free hand into a fist before tugging onto his roommate’s hand, urging the other to open his eyes and take the path to their right where Zitao’s frat house should be.

The loud bass can be heard even through the thick cement, the beat of the music thumping against their chest and Yixing’s body feels it even before entering the party. Yifan removes his hand from the younger’s to place it on the smaller one’s waist instead, making sure the dancer is close to him and never leaves his side as they weave through the crowd of inebriated party-goers. The elder squeezes the slender body to his front before turning them around so that Yixing’s back is against the wall when a group of rowdy students pass by them, threatening to separate the couple as the group breezes through them. People jostle against Yifan’s back and the actor barely supports his body with the help of his arms on the wall so that he won’t push himself against the younger and possibly squash the smaller one with his and the crowd’s weight.

“S-sorry.” The elder groans when he feels another elbow nudge him on his side. Yifan inhales deeply and holds his breath when he feels another person being pushed against him. He grits his teeth when he feels the weight of the crowd, placing all of his strength on his arms and legs to keep his stance and the distance between him and Yixing. However, the taller male can only hold so much and his legs give in first, pushing his lower half against the dancer’s and he hears the other wince. He barely keeps his head a few inches away from Yixing’s as his torso is pushed in as well. The actor keeps apologizing to the other and he does his best to tune out the whimpers he hears from the younger especially when he’s completely pressed against his roommate. He bites the corner of his lip and thinks of other things – disgusting things – like how his professor in freshman year looked like a weird combination of a squid and a giraffe with curly hair. 

When he feels the pressure being released on his back he takes that opportunity and pulls Yixing away from the wall and out of the receiving area that doubled as the main dancefloor. They walk farther back until they reach the kitchen where they find a couple making out on the counter. The two scurry away when they see Yifan’s scrunched up eyebrows, running out of the back door to somewhere the elder doesn’t really care about. His hand is still tight around the younger’s hand even without the threat of anyone taking the other away from him and he’s not planning on changing that any time soon. He doesn’t let go even as he rummages for two beer bottles from the refrigerator, Yixing’s fingers drumming against the back of his hand is a reassurance for him and helps will away his earlier thoughts when he was pressed against the younger.

“What are you doing here?” Lu Han shouts when he finds the two sitting on the kitchen counter cradling a beer bottle each. “Let’s go dance, Xing!” The older Chinese tries to pull the junior from where he’s perched beside Yifan. “Come on, you promised me!” The doe-eyed male whines, Kai shaking his head when he comes in and finds the elder already pulling the couple apart but he doesn’t say anything this time, he just discards his bottle to find a new one. “You’re not controlling your boyfriend, are you?” Lu Han directs the question to the actor, seeing the reluctance in Yixing’s eyes and how his gaze falls onto the taller Chinese ever since his classmate has arrived to urge him to go to the dancefloor.

“Is it really okay?” Yixing asks, making the actor wonder why he’s inquiring such a question when he doesn’t exactly have any real claim on the smaller one. He actually wants to keep the dancer where he is but he also doesn’t want to look selfish and he knows how dance is such an integral part of Yixing’s life. Yifan surprises the younger by pulling him close to kiss his forehead, not minding how Lu Han is producing gagging noises where he is asking Kai to hand him a drink as well.

“Of course,” the actor answers against the skin of the smaller one’s temple before releasing Yixing with a plastered smile on his face, “Go have fun, that’s what you’re here for.” There is still a bit of hesitance in the other’s eyes but it slowly disappears when he hears the loud music transition to a beat that he likes. He is then dragged by Lu Han back to where the party-goers are squeezing themselves to grind on each other.

Yifan watches and allows the younger to walk off, not wanting to restrict the other from doing the things he wants. After reminding himself that he shouldn't be controlling the smaller one, he breathes in deeply and takes a swig of his beer not realizing that Kai is still in the kitchen with him.

"I can't believe you let him go just like that," the tanned male comments after taking a big gulp of the amber liquid on his hand. "Are you even aware that almost the whole Dance Department is after your boyfriend's ass? Maybe even half of the campus wants a piece of it."

"Okay, okay." Yifan massages his nose bridge, slightly annoyed at how the other is making him look like he doesn't care about it. "I get it." He quickly thinks of a reply so the other doesn't become suspicious of his actions. "Yixing and I are always together," he starts, not wanting to sound like he's sick of that truth, "and there are things that he wants to do by himself so I should allow him."

Kai hums as if understanding his words but in the next second he responds, "I think it would be fun to see you dance together." The younger shrugs when the taller male looks at him like he has forgotten how Yifan has two left feet. "You know," the Korean adds to take his attention again, "have fun on the dancefloor with your boyfriend."

"So," the elder elongates the word and throws at the other, "why aren't you there with Lu Han then?" This effectively makes the smaller one zip his mouth, turning away from Yifan before emptying his bottle once more. The elder chuckles before he also chugs down the rest of his drink, not surprised at how fast he is emptying his bottles. He stretches his arm out for the younger to get him another beer and Kai can do nothing but pass him one.

"I'm glad though," Kai blurts out after opening his next bottle, "took you guys long enough to finally be together." Yifan blushes and he's sure it's not because of the alcohol because three bottles are nothing to him. 

After a few seconds he finally replies, "Yeah, me too." There is a slight hint of sadness to it that the younger thankfully doesn't hear then they stay quiet again as they take it slow on the drinks. When he hears the crowd cheering from the receiving area, he slaps the younger's back and urges him to move, "Let's go see what the commotion is all about." The smaller one nods and gets them two more bottles before leaving the kitchen to join the noisy and sweaty group of students.

They find a small hole in the middle of the crowd of buzzed swaying bodies. With Yifan's height he is able to see what is happening and it makes him stop short where he is, hypnotized by the way Yixing's hips are moving, the dim red lighting and the green lasers moving about in the small room colouring his exposed pale skin. The elder's mouth waters and he barely remembers to close it when Kai nudges him on his side. The tanned male nods to where Yixing is and understands why there is a crease on his forehead. Someone is trying his moves on his roommate and it doesn't even take him a second to push the bottles in his hand to Kai's chest before stomping his way to the younger, shoving some people on the way as the fire that burns in his eyes grows exponentially in the few strides he has to take.

"Excuse me." Yifan's voice is deep and his tone is stern as he places a hand on the shoulder of the guy who's inching his way to Yixing. The man is smaller than him and has an angry expression on his face when he turns around to answer Yifan but it changes when he sees the crease on the forehead of the tall Chinese, the eyebrows meeting in the middle and the tightness of the actor's jaw has him taking a step back. "You're dancing too close to my boyfriend."

Yixing should be mad that Yifan is reacting the way he is when they're not even in a real relationship. But with one too many beers he is more than honest and just smirks, his insides flipping in delight with an edge of fire in them at how possessive the elder is over him, pressing his slender body against Yifan’s hard chest and wrapping an arm around his waist to keep the others from getting near him. He can feel jealous eyes thrown at him probably by girls who thought they had a chance with Yifan but he doesn't really care, all he focuses on is the sound near his ear because of the way he sways his hips as his lower half grinds against the elder's. Devious, he knows. He's had a few bottles, however, and he can blame it on the alcohol. 

Feeling the need to show others and support the actor's earlier statement, the younger turns around and places his arms around the taller male's neck. Seeing Yifan's eyes widen at his sudden action has Yixing giggling a little before tiptoeing and pulling the elder down. It's been a while since they kissed in front of the dancer's suitor, more than three months already and through those days that passed all the smaller man can think about is how soft the other’s lips were as they glided skillfully with Yixing's. And that's exactly what the younger one wants to feel. Instead of capturing Yifan's lips, he waits for the other to make a move, keeping the short distance between their mouths while he rubs the tip of his nose against the elder's. 

The actor takes it as a hint and leans down to finally seal their lips in a kiss, his hands steady themselves on the younger's waist but as their exchange grows more heated, one of his hands instinctively moves down to Yixing's rear. The smaller one gasps and he takes it as an invitation when the other keeps his lips slightly parted, slithering his tongue in until he can curl it around Yixing's. Yifan starts kneading the other's perky behind, the younger's moans making him forget that they're in the middle of the dancefloor. They only part when they hear a familiar voice – Lu Han's – calling out to them.

"Get a room!" The older Chinese chides before pushing them out of the dance floor and everybody's sight. He doesn't let go and keeps shoving the couple until they reach a vacant room on the second floor of the house. Lu Han with the help of their other friends who seem to be too drunk with their half-closed eyes and crazy grins, push the couple into the room and keep it closed by putting all their combined weight at the door.

"We can't have you sexing it up in the middle of the dance floor!" Kai shouts from behind the door. "My innocent eyes!" He adds over-dramatically and the couple stops struggling, instead they look at each other and an understanding passes between them. They nod at each other before Yifan takes the space in front of Yixing with the younger's back against the door. With a glint of mischief in their eyes the two start banging on the door with their hands, arms, elbows and feet, the wood rattling against its frame as they release sounds of pleasure while trying not to laugh at their antics.

"Oh dear God!" They hear Minseok shout from the other side. "This was a mistake!" The oldest in their group adds before they hear hurried footsteps disappearing out into the hallway. They don't stop, however, instead Yixing screams the elder's name and Yifan increases the volume of his voice as he bangs against the door. When they hear no soul is left on the other side of the door that is when they halt. The two look at each other before bursting into a laughing fit, the smaller one even wipes tears from his eyes because of it.

"That should teach them," Yixing says after his laughs have died down and the elder is just standing in front of him with his eyes trained on the other's brown orbs. 

It's quite dark in the room with nothing but the moon illuminating their surroundings but Yifan keeps his eyes on Yixing's, not wanting to see anything else but the younger. They stand there looking at each other for what feels like eternity before the elder leans down and kisses the smaller one's forehead then the tip of his nose before reaching his lips, pausing for a second to see any reluctance in the other's eyes. When he sees none of it there, not even confusion just determination, Yifan finally leans in and presses their lips together.

Compared to the kiss they shared downstairs this one is not hurried and Yixing can feel every ounce of emotion flowing from the other's lips to his as it glides languidly along his own. The elder doesn't rush, keeping their kiss slow even as he nibbles on the smaller's bottom lip, suckling the plump flesh between his before swiping his tongue over it. Yixing welcomes his tongue, brushing his own with it before allowing Yifan to explore his mouth. The taller one can feel the other restraining himself from moaning as the elder sucks on his tongue while large hands on his neck and waist steady him against the door. Hoping to change this and wanting to hear the younger let go of his inhibitions and free the pleasured sounds trapped in his throat, Yifan pulls away from their exchange with a chaste kiss to pepper adoration on the smaller one's face before moving down to his throat. The elder nips on the skin below the dancer's jaw, feeling the younger's hands gripping on his arms encourages him to do more, to finally hear the other's unrestrained noises.

Yixing lets go of his rational thinking and allows a moan to escape his lips – not forced this time – as Yifan swirls his tongue just below the younger's ear, a sensitive spot that the taller male knows about very well and uses to his advantage. The younger claws at the other’s arms and Yifan lets him, uncaring of the fingernails digging crescents on the exposed skin where he’s rolled his sleeves up as he sucks a hickey on the side of the dancer's neck. Unconsciously, Yixing hyperextends his neck and shows the taller male the expanse of white skin where he can paint a dazzling picture with his lips. So Yifan does, his hands slipping beneath the younger's shirt before sliding up, his fingertips creating trails of fire from the smaller male's abdomen to his ribs and finally to his chest. Yixing gasps when he feels the elder's thumbs press on his nipples, the rosy buds slowly hardening as the taller one rubs and pinches them. The lips on his neck move to where his clavicles are exposed, the prominent feature being Yifan's next target and his hands move to the elder's head and shoulder. His fingers swipe at the short hairs on the other's nape before moving his hand up to thread his digits on the blond mop on his partner's head. He hears the other groan when he tugs at the hair trapped between the spaces of his fingers and he does it again, feeling the sound vibrate where Yifan's lips are sucking on the skin stretched over his collarbones. Then the mouth breathing hot air onto his already heated skin pulls away, his body instantly missing the warmth especially when the taller one pulls Yixing’s top and flings the fabric to the side. The actor takes his lips again, not allowing them to lose contact for another second. Hands are on his torso again, on his back, chest, waist, everywhere they can caress and Yixing feels like melting under those large, warm hands. A surprised gasp leaves him and his eyes open wide when he feels a leg sliding between his own, Yifan's knee knocking against his inner thighs to spread his legs a bit wider to accommodate the limb.

The elder pulls away and places a hand under the smaller one's chin before stroking the bruised lower lip, whispering with his deep voice, "You shouldn't be allowed to wear such clothes when you're not with me." 

Yixing visibly shudders, closing his eyes once more when he feels his body slide, allowing for the other's knee to rub against his half-hard cock. Yifan watches the younger with bated breath as his body moves in its own accord, grinding his crotch against the taller male's knee. The actor surges forward and swallows the sinful sounds coming out of the other's mouth, sensing something awaken and burn in the pit of his stomach the more he watches erotic expressions paint the dancer's face. He wants nothing more than to just see the other unleash himself but he feels his own dick twitch at the other's delicious display and he can only guess by the way Yixing is enthusiastically rubbing his hard-on against him that the younger also wants to hurry his release.

The smaller one involuntarily arches his chest towards Yifan when the elder flattens his tongue on his right nipple, his fingers toy with the other erect nub as he licks and sucks on the one cradled between his lips. Yixing knows that what they're doing is going beyond what they are required to do to make others believe their fake relationship especially not when there is no one there to see them get intimate. However, his guts tell him to take advantage of it while it lasts, knowing the elder will probably treat him like a friend once again when they decide that the pretending is over and that there is no more need for it. Although it makes him feel guilty as if he is just using Yifan, he can't help but feel that there is a sliver of hope that the other is doing these things to him out of love especially when the taller male whispers words of adoration on his skin, kissing every inch he can reach as he tries to pull strings of moans from the younger.

No matter how much the dancer enjoys his body being appreciated, he feels an ache on his nether regions that he knows cannot be relieved just by kissing and by the actor's hands on other parts of his body.

 

A bit hesitantly, Yixing reaches for the taller male's pants, fingers a little shy as they tug on the belt loops near the button of his roommate's bottoms. Yifan looks up from where he has moved to the younger's left nipple, eyes burning with lust. The younger feels the heat intensify on his groin and he bites his bottom lip before he meets the other's eyes again to whisper, "Yifan." 

His voice is slightly hoarse from all the moaning and gasping and by how the taller male's eyes pierce through him, he cannot even be bothered by how dry his throat is, the look of want in his partner's eyes enough to make him salivate for what the other can and will do. He lets out a squeak when the taller male presses a palm where his erection is straining against his pants. Yifan moves from the younger's chest to plant his forehead against Yixing's and the smaller one wastes no time in pushing his chin forward to have their lips meet in a kiss again. The elder allows the dancer’s tongue to delve in, opening his mouth for the smaller one to maneuver easily in the wet cavern, relishing in the stuttered moans the younger releases every time his hand presses down particularly hard in the middle of rubbing the stiffness restrained by the clothing. He is too preoccupied by the sensations that the elder is giving him that he doesn't feel the button of his pants being unfastened and the zipper being undone. Before he can even comprehend what is happening, the younger feels something wrap around his cock and he opens his mouth in a silent gasp as the digits squeeze the base of his manhood before stroking up. He then helps Yifan in pushing his pants only enough for his cock to be out in the open. Yixing is slightly embarrassed about showing his private parts to somebody else but it all disappears when the taller one reaches for his hand to place it on the bulge in front of the leather.

"Touch mine too," Yifan whispers hotly against the younger's lips, his voice quivering as the smaller pushes his palm on the protruding length. With nimble fingers, Yixing undoes the elder's pants before pushing them down the same way the other has done for his own so that he can pull out the taller one's stiffness. The actor can feel the younger gasp as the dancer's Adam's apple bobs beneath his lips and once more he urges the other to place his hand around his member. Yixing's hands are cautious when they wrap around Yifan's dick, his fingers pumping but not as confident as the elder's. Feeling the lack in the younger's trust in himself, the taller male leans to place chaste kisses on the dancer's lips, his tone gentle when he speaks against the other's lips, "It's okay, Xing. You're making me feel really good right now." 

To prove his point, Yifan closes his eyes and allows himself to revel in Yixing's ministrations, breathing out pleasured noises directly into the younger's ear to encourage him further. It seems to work as the dancer's grasp on his cock tightens, the friction his strokes create enough to make the elder halt in his own work from time to time, hand going back to pumping the other's length when he feels Yixing thrust up into his hand.

Their lips find each other again as Yifan leans more into the younger's space, their hands colliding as parts of their cocks rub against each other. They sometimes part from their kiss just to look at each other for a few moments before leaning in for another. The elder sometimes goes down to assault Yixing's neck and nipples, kissing up the smaller one's sternum and lightly biting at his chin before pressing their lips together again. Throughout the whole experience, their hands never stop, slowing down from time to time but never completely halting, stroking as if it is their own climax that they are working for however indirectly. They get lost in each other's kisses, forgetting that there is a party going on downstairs and that they're not in their own room. Hot breath fans across each other's faces as they pant closer to their orgasm. At some point Yixing's fingers which are buried in the elder's hair pull hard on Yifan's mane, a warning escaping his lips when his head lolls back. The taller one heeds and slides his hand up and down the heated flesh faster, pushing his thumb on the slit from time to time before smearing the precum that sticks to it down the younger's shaft.

"F-Fan." Yixing's hand squeezes and releases the elder's cock, the only motion he is able to do as his orgasm rises to the tip of his length. "C-c-lose," he stammers against Yifan's lips and he feels the taller one nod against his neck.

"Sssshhh," the elder shushes him again when he tries to tell him about his climax closing in on him, "Just think of me." And Yixing does, hips moving again to aid in pushing himself to the edge. His hand tries its very best to move where they are still around Yifan's cock but when the stimulation becomes too much for him, his hold slackens and so does his jaw. A scream rips through his throat when he feels fluids shooting out of his shaft, his climax making his whole body shudder with great intensity due to his last orgasm being a month ago already. Yifan doesn't even bother to make the younger quiet or warn him about how the others might hear him, he just licks up the sweat on the pale column of Yixing's neck as he milks the other dry. The younger slumps against the door as he empties onto the taller male's hand, panting as he steadies himself with his arms around Yifan's shoulders.

Once he's caught his breath and after a moment of realization, Yixing pulls away and throws the elder an apologetic look. "Let me," the smaller one whispers and lowers his arms, reaching with his shaky hands to the stiffness still hard and curved towards Yifan's stomach. The taller one doesn't even swat his hand away, groaning against the damp skin of his neck and pressing kisses there as he tightens his grip on the younger's waist, his hand still dirty with Yixing's semen. A grunt followed by the dancer’s name is all the taller male lets out before his cum coats the younger's delicate fingers, his breathing becoming ragged as Yixing tugs at his cock to extract every drop of his ejaculate with his warm hands. He drops his head onto the smaller male's shoulder as the wave of pleasure disappears to the tips of his fingers and toes, slowly realizing as he gasps for air that he came with the help of the younger's hands. But he doesn't allow himself to drown in the thought as the other also released on his hand, the proof still sticky and white on his skin.

Yixing almost wipes his hand on the other's shirt but stops himself before he can place them on the elder's chest. With a peck to the smaller's lips, Yifan pushes himself off the door after being certain that the younger can keep himself up on his own two feet. He heads off to search for tissues and luckily finds an en suite bathroom, returning to the dancer to bring him there to properly clean themselves. His lips land kisses on the other's forehead, cheeks, lips and his exposed skin as they wash their hands and properly dress themselves again. After pushing Yixing against the counter and kissing the daylights out of him, he pulls the younger out of the bathroom, out of the stranger's room and out of the house ultimately. 

They catch their friends' eyes on their way out, some of them raising their bottles as Yifan waves them goodbye while Yixing keeps his head low with his hand tightly interlaced with the elder's. Their walk back to their dorm is quiet just like when they went to the frat house but there is more tension in the air which Yifan decides to break by pulling the younger close to him to be able to kiss him like how he wanted to earlier on their way to the frat house. The dancer just looks at him stunned, his surprise dissipating only when the taller one kisses him again before pulling him back to walk once more. They don't talk about what happened, not even when the actor pulls Yixing to sleep in the same bed with him. Having satiated their desire, the couple sleep with the bliss of ignorance as they share the bed for the first time.

❤️

In the days that follow Yixing finds himself pressed against doors and walls with Yifan's lips on his but they never talk about it and he never complains. Rather he is more than glad for the kisses and the abrupt hugs, welcoming the taller male into his arms before burying his face into his roommate's chest, not bothered by how intimate and unnecessary their actions are. They are still the same in front of the crowd, if not more touchy and clingy to each other. Yifan still drops the younger to his classes and Yixing still feeds the other spoonfuls of vegetables that the actor will never dare touch if not for the smaller one's insistence; even so he still pulls his roommate by the waist to be closer to him during their meals. There are more kisses even in public that the dancer is afraid they will one day be called by their respective Deans for their public display of affection. But he forgets those possibilities when he hears girls swooning around them when the taller one places a quick goodbye kiss on his forehead or when Yifan kisses him particularly hard when he picks him up from his dance rehearsals because the elder is jealous of the people who get to touch Yixing in their new routine – even though he will never say it out loud.

Yixing allows himself to live in bliss for a week, drowning himself in Yifan's kisses and embrace, cherishing every moment while it lasts. They never talk about anything, just leaning in and letting their lips press on the other's when they feel like it. A repeat of what happened at the frat party can't be seen in the horizon, however, and the dancer isn't exactly sure what he will do when it occurs again especially not when they haven't talked – and seem to not be keen on talking either – about the status of their relationship now that that border has been crossed. The two seem shy enough not to step over the line again, sleeping on separate beds once more after the _incident,_ but confident enough to go as far as possible just to rile up the other.

It is the week after that Yixing wakes from his stupor, brought down to earth once again by Sehun; the only person who still does not believe the existence of their relationship but lets the two older men play pretend. He corners the dancer one afternoon after the elder's rehearsals, choosing that specific day since Yifan still has a class until eight. There is obvious surprise in the Chinese male's face when he finds the younger standing by the entrance of the dance studio.

"Yixing," Sehun waves at him and approaches him, "can we talk?" Yixing just nods and follows the younger out of the building before settling at a nearby bench. The Korean waits until people who know the elder are gone, making sure all of the dancer's attention is on him and no one will hear what he is about to discuss before he opens his mouth to say his piece.

"I know the truth between you and Yifan," Sehun says in a low tone. The elder bites his lower lip before looking around to see if anyone is near before relaxing and directing his attention to the other again, lips in a straight line as he thinks of whether he should go defensive or wait for the younger to continue. He decides on the latter and just gives the Korean a look that he hopes is encouraging and not threatening. 

"As much as I am glad that you two seem to be the happy couple that you are supposed to be and not just a pretend one, I also can't help but see that there's still something that divides you two." Yixing wonders if the Korean has some supernatural power for him to know such things without being told. He also muses whether them acting natural around each other is still not enough. Before he can even blurt out something stupid about his ideas of where the younger is getting his correct assumptions, Sehun is already continuing where he left off, seeing as the Chinese is not planning on saying anything related to it. 

"Are you two really together now?" The question stuns Yixing, even though he had an inkling that this is where the younger is going. There is concern on his friend's face and he knows that he is nothing but worried for them especially when he adds, "I just want you two to be in a proper relationship before you know," he halts, chewing his lower lip before continuing, "before you go further." To this, Yixing's cheeks burn and he tries his best to hide them and how the thought has always been in his mind ever since the night of the party. 

"I just don't want any of you to get hurt and end something that's just started to blossom." If the dancer is any coherent and unaffected by what the younger is saying, he would have retorted about how deep Sehun's choice of words are, completely ignoring what was told to him. Yixing nods but doesn't say anything which prompts the Korean to place a hand on his shoulder to squeeze it. 

"Promise me you two will talk." Once more the elder just nods and gives the other a small smile, the weak lift of the corner of his lips not enough to dig a dimple on his cheek.

Yixing breaks his promise, however, and doesn't talk to Yifan about anything. He doesn't push the taller male either when thoughts of the actor leaving him cross his mind while he moulds his mouth with the elder, pushing them to the back of his mind the best he can to savour the moment and every ounce of adoration he can feel with every glide of their lips. That night he sleeps – or at least tries to – in Yifan’s arms, promising himself that this will be the last time, thinking that it will be better for him to start distancing himself from the taller male before Sehun's prediction becomes true and one of them gets hurt. He allows himself to live in the illusion for as long as it lasts, watching the actor sleep and staying up late so that he can stare at the other for longer knowing he will not see much of those bushy eyebrows, sharp features and soft lips in the following days. With that thought he leans in and presses a kiss on Yifan's lips, staying there for a few seconds afraid that it will be the last. Somehow, some time in the night he falls asleep. A whisper to his ear that he believes is nothing but a dream makes him stir only to settle further into the taller male's embrace.

"I love you, Yixing."

❤️

Yixing is out of the door hours earlier than his first class so he can avoid seeing Yifan in the morning, determined to put a good distance between him and the elder starting that day. He knows that Sehun is right, that talking is what they need to do but the dancer is too afraid to confront the taller male, too scared to hear words of rejection from the other's mouth. The younger is also aware that avoiding Yifan will not work for long, the actor being perceptive and easily working things out after just a few slight changes. But for now he needs to escape, this should do even just for a few days, to give him time to prepare himself for what is to come; an eventual heartbreak, he reckons.

Lu Han scrutinizes Yixing when the elder comes into the classroom with a hand tightly gripping the strap of his backpack. The younger feels the eyes that are staring at him while he finishes reading the chapter they were assigned to go through for that lecture. He doesn't allow the other's gaze weigh on him, reading through to the last words before acknowledging the doe-eyed Chinese.

"Good morning to you too, Lu Han," he greets the other sarcastically when he closes his book, reaching for the notebook and pen in his bag to prepare for their class.

"Morning," the elder replies passively, still examining Yixing as if he is some specimen placed under a microscope that Lu Han needs to study.

"Will you please stop staring at me?" The smaller Chinese requests when he sees the other moving closer to him in his peripheral vision. This makes the elder lean back towards his seat again but his gaze doesn't leave the other's figure.

"Did something happen?" Lu Han finally asks, crossing his arms over his desk before placing his head there, facing Yixing in a comfortable position.

"Umm," the younger tries to act cool, opening his notebook to a free page before writing the date and the course name, "nothing?"

"Psh," the elder doesn't even hide his disappointment at Yixing's reply, "yeah, right." He settles back on his seat again, pocketing his hands and pushing his chair only enough for it to lean against the table behind him. "You didn't have breakfast with us," Lu Han finally adds, "and your boyfriend didn't know where you were." The word boyfriend has the smaller one wincing internally, feeling guilty for lying to one of his closest friends in their circle. But it doesn't mean he's going to say anything to him soon, not when what he has with Yifan – whatever it is – is going to end soon anyway. What the older Chinese says next has Yixing whipping his head towards the other, "He looks really worried too." Before the elder can look at him, however, he turns his head to face the whiteboard again, hoping the taller didn't notice the look of concern and curiosity on his face.

Then Lu Han leans closer to him before poking his shoulder, effectively getting the younger's attention so he can ask, "Are you two having a lover's quarrel?"

"A what?" Yixing's face scrunches up in a scandalized expression, before he gives a proper answer, "We're not fighting."

"Then how come he doesn't know where you were?" Lu Han invades the younger's personal space, index finger poking at the other's arm with every word that comes out of his lips, "Where were you anyway?" The smaller male is grateful that he at least has a prepared reply for his second question, allowing for him to think of an answer for the first one while he responds.

"I was just at the library, catching up with stuff I haven't read yet." Yixing shrugs and the other Chinese gives him a look that says he needs to say more, hinting that he hasn't answered the first inquiry. "I didn't want to wake him up, he's been having late nights recently because of his rehearsals." When Lu Han pushes him and asks why he didn't at least send the other a message, the smaller one stammers but brings himself to find an answer, saying, "He's a light sleeper and he doesn't put his phone on silent when he sleeps." The elder still doesn't look too pleased with his response but he lets him off the hook when Kai finally comes in to the room with their professor behind him.

"Fine," Lu Han finally lets out, whispering while he's still close to the younger, "But don't do that again, I don't want you two to have any reason to argue." The elder returns to a proper sitting position after, focusing on their lecture now as their professor sets up his laptop while talking about the lesson they will tackle that day.

Yixing is glad that Lu Han didn't ask for him to swear not to have a repeat of what he did that morning – suddenly disappearing on the person acting as his boyfriend – because then he'd be breaking another promise not even a week after he had just broken one he made with Sehun. 

His mind flies as his professor drones on in front of the class, just stating what Yixing has just read before the lecture began. His brain supplies him ideas on how Yifan reacted based on what Lu Han said to him minutes ago. He can imagine the elder waking up, pulling onto what he thinks is Yixing only to realize that it is only a soft pillow in the place of the younger, surprise rippling on his face when he doesn't find the dancer returning, the same startled expression painting his face when he doesn't see the smaller male in their usual table at the cafeteria having breakfast with their friends. Then Yifan's face changes to one of worry, his eyebrows furrowing as he thinks deeply of where the other could be or what he could be doing and with who. Yixing can even presume that the elder wasn't able to touch his food because he was thinking too much and that makes him feel bad for his actions. The guilt settles only just for a minute, then he shakes his head hoping to shake off the thought with it. He didn’t receive any text message from Yifan yet anyway which does nothing but prove his earlier assumptions that what he has with his roommate is something that doesn’t matter to him as much as it does to Yixing. Hoping to push the thoughts in the farthest part of his mind to deal with later, he scolds himself to focus on the lesson, despite already knowing what the professor is talking about. It jumps out of the walls he has created around it every now and then, taking his attention from time to time and he barely places restraints on them, his mind floundering even as the class ends.

❤️

It goes on for four more days. Yixing always leaves early and he either comes back early so that when Yifan arrives he's already asleep or too late that the elder can't wait for him anymore. They talk every now and then when they bump into each other in the hallways or when the other wakes up earlier than usual but their conversations never last for more than just hellos and goodbyes. They eat lunch together sometimes but they're not like before, they don't seem to be head over heels for each other anymore and people aren't too bothered by it, thinking that the two have just gone past the honeymoon phase of their relationship.

However, Yifan is bothered by the sudden shift in their relationship. He has been from the very first day Yixing started avoiding him, even though the smaller male denies any of it, reasoning that he just really needs to focus in the last leg of the semester. But the taller one can feel the rift between them evidenced by the decrease in the younger's replies to his texts and how his calls that used to be answered as quickly as possible or returned after the other's class are left without even a message to tell him of the dancer's excuse for not taking his calls. 

The elder is thinking if there is anything he did that might have triggered Yixing's actions. He sits down and thinks if he just imagined the younger's positive response to all of the kisses and hugs that they have shared in the past week. Yifan chastises himself for pushing the other into doing those things with him, groaning when he remembers himself whining when the dancer doesn't want to sleep in the same bed as him. He's close to believing that that is the reason, that Yixing doesn't really like being intimate with him but then he remembers the younger initiating the kisses, pressing his lips onto the actor's when he wakes up and before he finally allows sleep to take him.

It brings Yifan to wit's end, struggling between choosing whether he should be mad at himself for his actions or not, finding reasons to not do the former by remembering how Yixing smiled at him and how tight he hugged him back. But even as he lays his head onto his pillow, eyes trained to where the younger should be lying down and sleeping if the dancer wasn't out doing whatever he has been doing for the past few days, the taller male’s mind is still blank, uncertain of what could be the possible reason for the younger's absence lately. He clicks his tongue when his gaze falls on the alarm clock on the desk beside him, the gadget telling him that it is already half past eleven o'clock, just thirty minutes before the curfew. As much as he wants to stay up and wait for Yixing to return, maybe to ask him if there's something wrong or just to get a kiss to reassure him that he's alright – that they're alright – his eyelids are already slipping shut and not cooperating with him.

Yifan wakes up early the next day, surprising himself when he finds Yixing still asleep on his own bed, lips slightly parted as whistles of breath move past them. The elder crouches down beside the other's bed, lightly patting down the smaller one's hair before brushing his bangs that are falling over his eyes. 

_It's strange,_ Yifan thinks, how just seeing the dancer's face calms him down, erasing all thoughts, both bad and good, as he strokes Yixing's cheekbone with his thumb. Feeling the younger sigh in his sleep and relax further into his bed puts a smile on his face, urging the taller male to lean forward to place a kiss on the other's forehead. Gingerly, he removes his hand from where he has cupped Yixing's cheek, already missing the supple skin beneath his palm and fingertips just seconds after he pulls away. Against his wants, he stands up and moves to take a shower, not wanting to disturb the other's sleep further. When he returns, the dancer is still in slumber, tightly hugging a pillow to his chest. The sight is so adorable it makes Yifan's heart constrict and he smiles, unabashedly letting out a whispered 'Cute' which the younger doesn't really like hearing so he allows himself to say the word while the other cannot hear him. He fixes his things quickly before he can be late for his class, pulling the curtains shut so that the sunlight wouldn't wake Yixing in the middle of the day, wanting the younger to get enough rest since he doesn't have a class anyway. 

The taller male is about to open the door, his hand is already on the knob but he steps back into the room, dropping down on one knee to leave another kiss on Yixing's temple. When he doesn't see the other stir due to his movements, he smiles and leaves another on the crown of the smaller male's head, afterwards he sniffs the dancer's hair which always seems to help him relax. Before Yifan pulls away, he presses another kiss to the younger's scalp, lips moving against the other's skin as he whispers, "Rest well, baby."

He watches the dancer for a few more seconds, savouring the time he is allowed while the other doesn't notice his presence as he hasn't been able to look at the other properly for longer than a minute recently. Watching the rise and fall of the younger's chest and the small twitch of the corner of his eye, Yifan wishes that he is actually awake right now, so he can tell him how much he misses him, so he can embrace him like he always does when he feels the need to reassure himself that Yixing is there, that he will always have the younger around to keep him on the ground, to calm his heart from the worries riddling it. The past few days had rattled him, further proving that the dancer is someone he cannot lose. With his fists balled to his sides and more determination than he has ever put into anything before, Yifan decides that this avoiding game needs to stop soon and he thinks today is the day. He nods to himself before finally leaving the room, promising to himself that he will have to catch the smaller male before the day ends, deciding to finish everything early. He won't allow another day without Yixing's presence in his life.

❤️

Yifan is excited and nervous at the same time when he steps into their dorm building that afternoon, mind racing at the thought of seeing Yixing again after leaving that morning. When he opens the door, however, he doesn't find who he wants to see, the younger's bed made and empty. He half-expected the other to be in their room when he returns because the dancer likes staying in for his free days, using that time to relax for a bit and maybe catch up on some of the series that he has forgotten to watch because of school. Without thinking much of it, he reaches for his phone and calls Yixing, the connection unanswered even on the third call. He gives up on it but not on finding the younger. Yifan then text blasts to their friends asking if they have seen or are with the smaller one at the moment. The replies comes quick, thankfully, and almost all of them return with sad emoticons after telling him that they aren't with the dancer and haven't seen him the whole day. Lu Han is the only exception, the older Chinese sends him a different reply, one that gives him hope.

From: Lu  
_Yixing's still out?_

To: Lu  
_Do you know where he is right now??_

From: Lu  
_Not exactly. I last saw him lunchtime._

From: Lu  
_Are you two still fighting?_

To: Lu  
_We're not fighting. Did he tell you what he's doing today??????_

From: Lu  
_Psh if you don't know where your boyfriend is you're definitely fighting_

To: Lu  
_Are you going to answer the question or do I have to go to your dorm now and choke you until you answer??_

From: Lu  
_I wonder what Yixing sees in you. My poor child._

To: Lu  
_Lu Han I don't really have the leisure of time here. Just tell me where Yixing is. Please._

From: Lu  
_There you go, I was just waiting for you to say the magic word._

From: Lu  
_He's either at the dance studio or at the park. He told me he wanted something new to see._

To: Lu  
_Which park?_

From: Lu  
_The one with the animals_

Yifan nods to himself when he receives the reply, his phone ringing to tell him that the elder has sent another message before he can even close his mobile device.

From: Lu  
_Can I come with? I wanna see my brother_

From: Lu  
_Yifan?_

From: Lu  
_I hate you! You user!_

From: Lu  
_Make sure you come back with Yixing in your arms_

From: Lu  
_I will not allow you entrance without my beloved child_

From: Lu  
_Good luck! Go get your love!_

Yifan ignores the slew of messages that Lu Han sends him, dropping his backpack onto the floor beside his bed before speeding out of the room and the building, his footsteps leading him to the Performing Arts Building and the annex where the Dance Department's practice rooms are. There is a specific room that Yixing likes to stow himself away in to rehearse and the elder takes the stairs there, the adrenaline rush allowing his tired limbs to move up each step to the fourth floor. His legs almost fall to the floor when he reaches the room and he can hear a wail threatening to escape his chest when he sees that the studio is filled with unfamiliar faces, not finding Yixing's in the sea of students. He looks through the glass door more carefully until a guy opens it and asks him if he's looking for anyone. When the other tells him that the younger isn't in he just thanks him and walks away, hoping to find the dancer in the park Lu Han told him about, not wanting to waste any more time. He just prays that the elder didn't give Yixing a heads up because he knows the other will probably avoid him and find someplace else to pass the time before he needs to go back to the university grounds. 

Thankfully he finds a seat in the subway, giving his legs some rest before he uses them again, wiping the sweat that has collected on his forehead as he waits for the train to take him where he needs to be. He takes deep breathes to calm his nerves as the train makes three stops before arriving at his destination, the tall male standing up with more stability after having rested his lower limbs. He overworks them again when he finds himself on the right exit that will take him directly to the park that doubles as a small zoo in the middle of the city. Children's laughter and the sound of parents running after their kids welcome Yifan at the front of the park, it is free of charge so he just walks in without worries, nodding to the man by the gate when the elder tips his hat in greeting. He goes where his feet take him, where his heart tells them to go, navigating through maze-like paths and weaving through crowds of families before finding a certain part of the park that seems to be too quiet. His feet instinctively move towards the cemented path, bamboos rising up from either side of it as he delves deeper into the area. There, sitting on a bench with a book in one hand and a box of juice on the other, Yixing is surrounded by a bubble of peace as if the honking of the cars is distant and the city around him is non-existent. Yifan watches him for a while like he did that morning. Seeing his serene features calms his racing heart and makes his knees grow weaker, so he moves forward, knowing he will break what quiet is around them but he can't let another second pass without knowing what's bothering Yixing and if there is anything he can do about it.

"Xing?" Yifan calls out to the younger as he stands to the side of the bench. The dancer doesn't reply and the elder notices then the earphones plugged to his ears that aren't there for props only. So he walks and kneels in front of Yixing, startling the smaller male when he places a large hand on the surface of the page he is currently reading. The younger meets him with wide eyes and a slightly parted mouth, showing his surprise. He closes the book in his hand after the taller male has removed his palm, placing the reading material on his lap as he looks at Yifan.

"Hi." The actor greets Yixing, a tentative smile etched on his face along with the lines of worry on his forehead. For a moment, the younger feels guilty again, for making the elder come all the way here just to be able to talk to him, not that he asked him to but his actions drove Yifan to go to such extent. He replies with a simple hello before making space for the taller one to sit beside him. The other takes the hint and rises from where he was half-kneeling in front of Yixing to finally share a seat with the other, something that hasn't happened in what feels like ages when in fact it was only just three days ago.

"We need to talk, yeah?" Yifan inquires, eyes on the younger even though Yixing's focus is on his fingers, picking on the drying skin so as not to meet the elder's gaze.

"What about?" The dancer asks, playing innocent and acting like there is nothing wrong between them. It makes Yifan fume but he knows nothing good will come out of getting mad so he inhales deeply before placing a hand on Yixing's chin, forcing the other to look at him by gently turning his head. When the smaller male is facing him, he lifts the dancer's chin so that they can meet eye to eye before replying.

"About us." Yixing turns his head after hearing the elder's words, fingertips feeling the outline of the book on his lap and the embossed title on the cover as he chews on his bottom lip when he realizes that the moment he dreads the most has arrived. Yifan, without prompt, wraps his arms around the younger, pulling him close before burying his nose in the dancer's hair to take a whiff of his scent. The smaller male tries to wriggle free from the other's hold while schooling his stomach to stop fluttering due to the elder's actions.

"Stop this," Yixing finally releases himself from the taller male's embrace, standing up to get a good distance away from Yifan.

"Stop what?" The actor asks him from where he is still seated on the bench, looking lost for the first time, the usual certainty in his expressions gone.

"Acting like we're together," the dancer blurts out, his words like daggers to the elder's heart without him meaning to, "no one is around for the show."

"Weren't we?" The way Yifan breathes out the question makes the younger's brain stop, his heart dropping as he hears the hint of sorrow in the other's voice, asking about the first part of his reply without bothering to listen to the second half. But he also knows that this needs to end now, he can't have the elder keep acting nice around him and treating him like they are in a relationship anymore. He doesn't want to fall even further knowing that there is a rocky bottom at the end with no cushion to catch him and stop him from hurting.

"We were just playing pretend," the words tastes like lead as they fall from the tip of his tongue but Yixing needs to say it, no matter how heavy and painful they are. The truth always hurts, anyway. That's when the elder stands up and places himself in front of the dancer, eyes never leaving the smaller figure as he moves from the bench. Then Yifan wraps his arms around the younger, more determined not to let him go this time even as small fists throw punches to his chest. He's tired but he keeps his hold around Yixing, listening to everything he says along with his punches, allowing him to let everything out if that's what it takes to calm him down and get him to think straight, remove all unwanted thoughts on the way so he can see what he's actually missing, the one thought that he has decided to bury in the back of his mind.

"Yifan." The younger's voice has an angry tone, something the actor isn't used to. "You were just acting." The words sound like they are forced, that the dancer doesn't really believe the words coming out of his mouth himself. "Stop this already." Yixing's hands start weakening, the barrage of punches becoming light taps against the other's torso. "Stop giving me false hope." 

Yifan can feel the smaller man shaking but he still doesn't release him, if anything he just tightens his embrace until he renders the younger incapable of moving. And before the dancer can say or do something again to try to push the other away, the actor finally speaks, his voice gentle and his breath warm against Yixing's scalp.

"I like you."

"St–" The dancer balks, eyes widening as he finally looks up to meet Yifan's warm brown orbs, asking with an incredulous tone, "You what?"

The elder finally loosens his arms and lifts one hand to tuck the smaller male's hair behind his ear. With his eyes never leaving the younger's he repeats his words, "I said I like you, Yixing."

❤️

"So you like me, huh?" Yifan nods his head like a child being asked if he liked his meal, grinning when the younger just looks at him in disbelief. They are sitting down on the bench again after a few minutes of just staring at each other after the actor's confession, both of them taken aback by each other's reaction to the words that came out of the elder's mouth. Even after shyly replying that he feels the same and seeing the taller male’s giddy reaction after hearing that the younger likes him too, Yixing is still skeptical.

"Why do you think I would do those things with you if I didn't?" The blond counters, furrowing his eyebrows a little at how the other doesn't seem to be able to believe him.

"You said it was a good practice," Yixing replies weakly, flinching a little when the elder reaches for his hand.

"The one in the party then." The reminder makes the younger blush, Yifan's words opening a dam of memories of that night, how they kissed and how they brought each other to completion. "I wouldn't do that with someone I don't like." The elder squeezes Yixing's hand, the younger shaking his head as he tells the other that they were just drunk and that it was because of the alcohol. 

A part of the actor is sad because it seems that he didn't convey his feelings the right way and maybe he should've listened to Sehun when the kid came up to him and told him to fix their relationship. He didn't think that Yixing, even after countless times of him sharing a bed with the younger and showing the other how good of a boyfriend he is, still thinks that what they have is nothing but a fake relationship, that all he is doing is acting. He knows he should have cleared things with the dancer especially when that little incident happened at the party but there's nothing he can do about it now. Yifan just needs to do things properly from now on, just be himself like Yixing knows him to be.

"Did you not like what we did at the party?" Yifan asks cautiously, knowing this is a sensitive topic in their relationship. Yixing bites his lower lip but doesn't give an answer, so the elder adds, "Was it bad?"

"No," the other answers quickly and honestly, eyes growing as big as saucers when he hears himself, quickly sinking back into his side of the bench as he murmurs in addition, "I guess."

A hint of a smirk hovers at the corner of the elder's lips at the other's reply before he teasingly clears, "You guess?"

"We can try it again?" Yixing's free hand flies to his mouth, covering it and keeping his eyes trained to the path beneath his feet. Yifan's smirk finally comes out, breaking loose from the gentle expression the elder wants to keep.

"Yeah?" The elder closes in on Yixing, caressing the smaller male's cheekbone with the tip of his nose.

"At the right time…Yifan." The dancer's breath hitches when he feels the other's lips on the shell of his ear, the low undertone of the taller male's voice makes the younger shudder.

"A kiss is okay right?" Yifan kisses the skin behind Yixing's ear as he continues speaking, making sure his words are just above a whisper as he stays near the younger's ear. "I haven't kissed you in a while." He moves his other hand from Yixing's to the dancer's thighs, squeezing the firm muscles when he confesses, "And that's what I really want to do right now." The smaller male gives in, turning his head to face the elder, sharing their first kiss for the week after days of him avoiding the other. He doesn't allow it to linger though, aware that they are still outside and people might catch them.

"We can pick up where we left off," the elder hints on what happened at the party again and Yixing can't help but think of the possibilities. "Tonight's no good?" Yifan, having been pushed away from kissing the younger's lips, moves his own pair on the dancer's neck. He allows himself to feast on the pale column, whispering the younger's name every time he presses a kiss on the porcelain skin.

"Yifan…" The smaller male's voice is restrained and the elder knows he's suppressing a moan, gritting his teeth when he reminds the elder, "We're outside…"

"We can go inside." Yifan answers and seeing an opportunity for mischief, the elder corrects himself, making sure his lips are directly blowing the words to Yixing's ear, " _I_ can go inside."

Yixing blushes and stiffens when Yifan moves down to swirl his tongue on the crook of his neck. He doesn't even get to suppress the shudder that racks his body when Yifan breathes onto the skin. A small moan leaves his lips, however, and it snaps him out of his reverie, reminding him that the hand inching up his thigh shouldn't be there – not right now – because they are in public, where children can see them. He stands up abruptly and walks away, red colouring his cheeks at his boyfriend's playfulness. There’s a startled expression on Yifan’s face for a second but then he sees the blush on the younger's cheeks. He chuckles but follows when the dancer simply leaves him, shouting for the other to allow him to catch up, "Baby, wait for me!"

❤️

"So you're my boyfriend now, right?" Yifan asks, as they lay in bed, not really doing anything but just staying there in each other's arms after having bruising kisses, making up for the time they lost in the past few days. "Like, real boyfriend now, yes?"

Yixing looks up from where he has buried himself on the other's chest, eyes sharp and eyebrows furrowed when he inquires, "Is that really how you're going to ask me out?"

“I can be more romantic, if you want?” Yifan receives a slap on his chest, feigning being hurt by clutching the area that the younger just hit. His expression switches quickly, however, and before the dancer can even react, he is already pinned to the bed, body pressed to the mattress by the elder’s weight. 

“There are other options you can choose from.” There is fire in the actor’s eyes and Yixing can feel something stir in his gut. “But quite frankly I’d rather you opt for the sexy one.” The words make the younger’s throat go dry, knowing what the taller male’s words imply. “Do you want to hear what that option entails?” Yixing doesn’t even get to reply when the elder is already breathing the words against his lips, “I’ll have my cock buried inside you and all you’ll be able to say is _yes, yes, yes.”_ Yifan emphasizes the word with a roll of his hips and Yixing loses it, craning his neck to reach up for the elder’s lips. His hands travel down to the taller male’s hips after a few brushes of their lips, the pillowy pair still swollen from their previous kisses. He halts the actor’s movements with a firm hold, determined not to rush things and the other pulls away from their kiss with a questioning gaze. Yixing reaches up again to give his lips a peck, smiling up at him when their eyes meet.

“Maybe next time,” Yifan breathes out heavily, not angry just relieved, and the younger can’t help but grin. He lifts one hand to place on the elder’s cheek, his words painting the same curve on the other’s face before his lips are covered in a kiss again, “But my answer is still yes.”


End file.
